The Tales of the Flower and the Stag
by Cristipotter
Summary: A collection of JL oneshots, that go from funny to fluffy to angsty to pointless to romantic and...oh well pretty much everything! Fourth shot: James wants to show Lily something, it involves a broomstick, and no, it is not his amazing Quidditch skills.
1. Holidays

**Hi! This story goes to all the L/J shippers out there (like me)**

**It's not really a story but a collection of one shots, that go from funny, to fluffy, to sad, to pointless, to romantic and so on. If anyone would like to see a special one-shot, just tell me:) **

**This one is the first one-shot. Called "Holidays", it is fluffy and dramatic, and sad! But don't worry! Not all my shots will be angsty, NOT AT ALL! most of them will be really funny. So plz R&R! This is a pretty LONG one-shot really, but I wanted to post it in this collection. I never get really inspired to write this kinds of stuff...I normally write more funny things but, oh well, everyone needs a angsty fic from time to time, right? **

**So I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: DON'T OWN! NOTHING! AT ALL! **

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"Oh, Merlin. Is this a hallucination?"

It was a chilly, snowy Sunday morning that announced that Christmas was near. Lily Evans walked through the Hogwarts's empty corridors that leaded straight to the Library. The red headed intended to finish her homework before going home for the holidays; with her heavy school bag hanging from her shoulder, she entered the old, vast room full of shelves and books she so well knew.

She strolled down to the section of History of Magic, and when she turned the corner she was surprised to see in one of the wooden tables a black haired boy, doing his homework with his head low, close to the parchment he was scribbling on.

James Potter raised his head, and a playful smile spread through his features when he saw who had just arrived.

"Well, Evans, I assure you it is not" he said, rumpling with a large hand his mane of messy, jet hair.

Lily let her bag fall on the table, just beside James's possessions. Without a glance to the boy, she turned her back to him and started looking around the shelf for a specific book, her index finger rolling through the rough spines.

"It's _Sunday morning_, Potter" she said, while her long, thin finger stopped at a particular red book "I never thought I would live to see this day come" she took the book out of the shelf and placed it right in front of his. She sat and opened the copy of _A History of Magic. _

James stared at her for a moment, his eyes contemplating the line of light freckles scattered along her cheeks and nose. Her head and eyes were bent low; she fixed a strand of auburn hair just behind her shoulder. Her eyes rose and met his, and her cheeks turned suddenly pink. He looked away and scratched his neck awkwardly, feeling the heat rise to his own cheeks.

"I just wanted to finish this before tomorrow" she heard him say. She stared at the yellowish piece of parchment she had now pulled out of her bag.

"I forgot my quill" Lily muttered, her deep, green eyes rising "left it on the common room"

"You can use mine" James placed his long, white quill near her hand.

"Thanks" Lily grinned for a second and took it. She dipped it on his glassed bottle of ink and started writing her essay.

There was a long silence, in which Lily's look just traveled from the open book to her parchment. She seemed so absorbed in her work, that James started to think she had forgotten he was even there, right in front of her. In the meantime, he took the chance to just stare at her, like he used to. He used to just have a moment in the day to look at her, and most of those times he got caught and ended up annoying her. She would always tell him to stop staring at her, or following her. She wouldn't even talk to him sometimes, just because she didn't want to. And when she did, it was to remind him of what an idiotic prick he was.

But now things had changed. He didn't followed her anymore, or stare much at her either. She had stopped insulting him, and they now had more civilized conversations; but just a few.

"Sad isn't it?"

Lily jumped on her seat. She had been so focused in her Goblins' War essay, she had forgotten about James being just there. But the quill didn't stop moving as she kept writing word after word "What's sad?" she asked.

There was a short pause before she heard James say "it's sad that things never worked between us"

After almost an hour of writing, Lily's hand stopped scribbling. The narrow tip of the quill frozen in the last '_s_' she had written. She didn't look up, and felt her cheeks gaining a bit of heat.

"There…there was never anything between us, Potter" she said simply, but felt a fluttering sensation in her insides. She resumed writing her essay, not daring to look at him now.

While she rolled up carefully the parchment, James's voice reached once more her ears. His voice sounded less like him; it was softer than it usually was.

"I…I always thought that if I would ever end up with someone" he said. She stood up and gave her back to him, the red book in her hands "it would be you"

She bit her bottom lip as she felt a sudden weakness on the knees. She carefully placed the book back into the shelf, and stood there, staring at the spines of all the History of Magic related books.

James stared at the red hair falling to the middle of her back, sparkling with the morning sunlight from the window beside her. He silently scowled and took his bag from the floor, throwing his books and parchments in it.

"I'll leave the quill" he said walking away slowly "in case you need it"

Lily was frozen in the spot she was standing, staring blankly at the old, dusty books. Her stomach jolted. James and Lily had fallen apart, not that they had ever been good friends. From all the times he asked her out, complimented her, confessed his undying love for her, or just look at her, it had to be now it moved her.

"I never understood something, Potter" she said, turning around and facing the walking figure of James. His steps ceased and his hazel eyes met her green ones "_Why_ me?"

He frowned "What?" he said, putting his bag on the table where Lily's possessions now lay.

"Why me? From all the girls…why me?" she said, as she grabbed a strand of auburn hair from the back of her head "I was always so hard with you, I wanted you to stop. To get over it"

They stared at each other for a split, silent second. Lily lowered her head and swung her bag over her shoulder.

"Happy Holidays, Potter" she said, and walked past him, brushing slightly his shoulder with hers. He saw her leave, her locks flying behind her, with a quick pace. Her steps were long and she finally disappeared from view.

Lily sat across her sister Petunia on the dining table. Her mother placed the roasted turkey in the center of the table as her father sat in the main seat. The snow was falling thickly outside, and the fire lighted the dinning room entirely. The flickering lights in everyone's faces made Lily feel warm inside.

"So, Lily, darling, how's school going?" Mr. Evans said, raising his fork and smiling. His green eyes shone.

"It's wonderful, Dad" she said, putting a slice of roasted, delicious turkey on her plate "I can't believe I'll soon graduate"

"It seems like yesterday, right, dear?" Mrs. Evans said from the other side of her table, looking at her husband "the day we got the Hogwarts letter"

"Absolutely" he responded, and placed a lettuce on his mouth.

Lily smiled, as she moved the various vegetables from her salad around the plate, using her fork. She looked at her sister, who hadn't taken her eyes off her plate since the dinner began, and hadn't said a word either.

"Petunia" Lily said, putting her fork down. Her older sister rose for the first time her look, her bony features expressionless "how's Vernon?" she grinned, trying to sound friendly toward her sister, who had never been very friendly to her in their whole life together "mum told me on a letter, you two seem to go pretty well"

"He's okay. We're happy" she simply said. She grinned for a moment, but it faded almost instantly.

"Well, that's good! I want to meet him" Lily said before eating a mouthful of salad.

"You will" her mother said, suddenly. Her soft voice seemed full of excitement "he's coming after dinner, right Petunia?"

Before Petunia could say a word, the doorbell rang. Everyone looked in the direction of the entrance door, and then at each other.

"That can't be Vernon" Petunia said, as she checked her wrist watch.

"It might be carol singers" said Mr. Evans "would you get that, Lily, please?"

The red haired stood up and walked to the entrance door, fixing the oversized Christmas sweater she was wearing. She cautiously opened the door, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a pair of hazel eyes looking right back at her from the other side of the door. She stared for a moment, like realizing what had just happened. His lips were tightly pressed together, and he was clutching his arms in front of his chest. She noticed he was slightly trembling, and remembering the hard weather outside, she opened a bit more the door, without saying a word.

James Potter understood, and without hesitation he walked into the warm house, feeling all the hairs in his spine stand up, and a rush of heat run from his head to his toes. After a moment, in which he rubbed his hands and forearms to get a little warmer, he took a good view of her.

She was wearing a ridiculously big, knitted sweater, with a snowman on the chest. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, with little strands falling out of it and on her face, her expression was of confusion and concern.

"Lily is everything alright?" a woman's voice said from other part of the house.

"Yes…Yes!" she called, her voice squeaked slightly. She stretched her hand, and grabbed his arm, pulling him to an empty, dark room. She pressed a peculiar button in a wall and lights suddenly turned on; they were standing in the middle of a living room, the walls full of still pictures and paintings. There was a brown, old couch, and a black box with a kind of screen. James looked at a particular picture of a red haired little girl, smiling broadly.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, looking unbelievingly at the man standing in front if her. His face was different; it was paler than usual, and his eyes looked swollen. His shoulders and hair were sprinkled with snowflakes.

"It's –"

His voice trailed off, and his look traveled to the entrance of the living room. There, standing tall was Lily's father. Frowning, he examined James from head to toes. Hi crossed his arms over his chest and opened his mouth to say something, but Lily interrupted him.

"Dad, this is Po…James" she said quietly, standing beside the black haired "James Potter…a…friend…from Hogwarts"

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Evans" he said, his voice remembered Lily of the ones he used with the teachers at school; he politely stretched his hand, and he shook it.

"Nice to meet one of Lily's friends" Lily's father smiled, and looked sympathetically at the younger man "would you like some diner, son? Some dessert?"

Before James could answer, Mr. Evans turned around and walked to the dining room, making a gesture with his hand to follow him. Lily pushed James's shoulder slightly, and they both followed the dark haired man.

When the three of them entered the room, Petunia and Mrs. Evans's eyes widened when they saw the new person that came along the entrance. Lily's mom stood up and smiled broadly, walking toward James.

"Well, well! Who's this?" she said, looking at him as her smile became broader.

"This young man is one of Lily's friends from Hogwarts" said Mr. Evans, patting him on the shoulder.

"This is my mom, James" Lily said.

James took the woman's hand, and kissed it. Lily stared at this with wide eyes, but her father seemed actually pleased.

"Now I know where Lily gets her good looks" he said as a playful smile appeared in his features.

Lily rolled her emerald green eyes, and looked at her mother, whose cheeks had turned pink and chuckled.

While the Evans couple introduced James to Petunia, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly he was doing in her house on Christmas Eve night. She fixed a strand of her behind her ear and faced her family and him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you Potter" she said, putting her hands on her hips, feeling the soft cotton of the sweater between her fingers.

Nodding to her parents, James walked toward Lily, putting his hands on his pant pockets.

"Oh, darling is that how you address your friends? By their surnames?" Mrs. Evans said, but Lily ignored her comment "James, dear, it would be a pleasure to have you here for dessert. Petunia's boyfriend, Vernon, will come too!"

Lily scowled silently, and before James could say anything, she pulled him back to the living room where they had been before.

They stood silently for a moment, as their hazel and green eyes interlocked. Lily stood far from him, all across the room. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. James's look became once again the one it had been when he first arrived.

"What _are_ you doing here?" she said fiercely "I don't think you just came all the way here to over compliment my parents"

She expected a cheeky, arrogant reply from him, but instead he lowered his head until his hair covered his face from Lily's view. Her expression softened, and she took a step closer to him.

"Potter?" she said, taking slowly another short step. He didn't reply, his head kept hanging down "James?" she addressed him softly and sweetly by his name. She got worried; she had never seen James Potter like this.

She extended her hand to pat him on his broad shoulder, but he suddenly raised his head, making Lily lower her arm at once. His eyes were bloodshot now, and puffy, he had a sad look that made Lily feel bad for him. She wondered what could be troubling him so badly; she had never seen James Potter, in seven years, in such a state.

"James, please tell me! What's wrong with –"

"The Dark Mark, Lily" he said coldly. Lily gasped, and her fingertips touched her soft, thin lips. Horror spread through her whole body and bones, without knowing what to do or say; her eyes had a priceless look of fear, looking directly at James "over my house" he paused, and let out a tiny sob. He pressed his lips, and Lily froze "Aurors were already there… they wouldn't let me in" by now thick, salty tears were covering his cheeks. Lily just stared unbelievingly at him; the thought of him crying had never crossed her mind for a second "I had nowhere to go, I'm so sorry Lily!"

"James, don't be!" she said, and without thinking or planning, she flung her arms around him, placing one hand on his head protectively.

James felt a pair of warm arms around him, and a hand running through his hair softly. He buried his face on her shoulder and felt the warm, fuzzy cotton brush his wet, salty cheeks, a sweet scent reached his nose.

"It's okay" she whispered a moment later, her hand still playing with the soft hair James had "everything will be alright…you'll see"

"It's _my_ fault, Lily" his muffled voice said. Lily backed away slowly, and putting her hands on his shoulders fiercely, she made him face her. His face was red and wet, and his swollen eyes were full of tears; his glasses were blurry.

"It's not! _How _can you say that?" she exclaimed, her expression had a mix of pity and bewilderment. Without letting go of him, she continued "it's not your fault Potter!"

"If I would just have gotten there a minute earlier –"

"They would have killed you too" she finished coldly. She lowered her arms and stared at his crestfallen expression, an expression that she never thought he would wear. But now he did, and her insides twisted with sadness "where's Sirius…Remus…Peter?"

"School" he said before giving a faint sniff.

She bit her bottom lip and crossed her arms and feet, staring at the floor, at her black and white sneakers, at the dirty shoelaces, the wooden floor beneath her. It seemed like hours passed in which neither of them said anything, but stared at the floor without knowing what to do next. James's head was swirling, his insides twitching every time he remembered the green, glowing mark upon his house, the group of Aurors already around the place, and nosy neighbors glimpsing and murmuring around. He hadn't even been able to see them, but for sure, his parents were already gone.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and made both youths jump and look up at each other.

"Vernon" she said weakly, uncrossing her arms and feet. She fixed a strand of hair from her face and walked toward the door. She placed a hand on the doorknob and looked back at James with concerned eyes "are you sure you want to stay?"

Putting his hands on his pockets, James shrugged and gave another faint sniff that made Lily cringe inside. She heard steps coming from the dining room and cheerful chatting voices. She turned the golden doorknob and the door opened and creaked.

Standing in front of her, was a tall, corpulent man; he had small, black eyes like two marbles pierced into his face, black, perfectly combed hair covered his head. He was holding gift wrapped with red and green paper between his large, white hands. Lily gaped unconsciously at the man for a second before stepping aside so he could come inside.

"Good night" he said politely, and greeted Lily's parents, walking directly toward them without a glimpse at her. Then she kissed Petunia on the lips, and handed the gift to Mrs. Evans, who smiled happily and thanked Vernon.

Lily silently stood beside James a few steps away from the quartet. They looked at each other, she getting a glimpse of his still swollen face, and then looked back at them.

"This is my youngest daughter, Lily" Mrs. Evans suddenly said, walking toward her and placing a soft hand on her shoulder "and her friend from school, James Potter"

Vernon unwrapped his arm from Petunia's waist, and smiling faintly, he walked to where Lily, James, and Mrs. Evans were now standing. He extended his hand to the youths, which they shook briefly.

"Lily goes to boarding school" Lily's only sister suddenly said, making all of them look at her. A nervous smile spread on her bony face and her hand was twisting the end of her sweater "a stage school, right?"

Lily stared at Petunia for a moment, in which her sister widened her eyes at her and didn't stop smiling. Lily frowned, but her features turned into an understanding smile and nodded.

"Yes, James and I go to stage school" she said, and was extremely surprised to not get a denying comment from James, asking why she had told them that. But he just frowned, and opened his mouth for a second, but then closed it and nodded weakly.

Petunia, Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans and Vernon all walked to the dinning room, talking and chuckling with such an enthusiasm she couldn't understand. James and her stayed behind, and just when the others were about to disappear into the room, Mrs. Evans turned and said "Wouldn't you like dessert? There's cake, ice cream, and hot chocolate"

"No thanks very much, Mrs. Evans, really" James said, smiling.

"Oh, dear, don't you worry" she said sweetly, and they turned back into the dinning room. James's face went back to a bitter expression.

"Potter, I'm so sorry" she said when she was sure the others were away. She ran her hand softly down his right arm and then crossed hers on her chest "do you want to stay? What will you do?"

"I want to go to my house" he said firmly, his hazel eyes glinted "I want to know what happened"

"I'll go with you" she said instantly. Their eyes met and she felt for the first time in days heat rise up to her cheeks. She looked away abruptly and scratching the back of her neck she said "if you need company"

James grinned, and it made her feel relieved. It was a true, small grin that had suddenly appeared across his face, the ends of his lips were slightly arched upward.

"I'd appreciate it, actually"

They walked out of the house, Lily closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. They stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and faced each other. She wrapped more tightly the black, long coat she was now wearing and shuddered. Thick snowflakes fell between them.

"Ready?" he said. She nodded, feeling her nose numb.

She felt every hole of her body close, and being pushed from all directions. She couldn't breath and her feet had left the floor. She was about to groan when she suddenly felt air reach her lungs again and a cold breeze caress her face.

She opened her eyes, and a green light hit her. She rubbed her face with her gloved hand and gasped with the sight she witnessed; an enormous, green skull, shining above a house. It had a disgusting snake coming out of its mouth. The house was shining green, and her stomach cringed just by the sight of it. Her heart beat quickly, and her knees felt week.

She glanced at James whose face was lighted with the green glow, his eyes widened and his hands turned into tight fists, but his expression kept motionless. Lily bit her lip as she took a deep breath. Her eyes focused on the mark upon that simple house, its roof covered with white snow that had a bright shade of green. There were just a couple of Aurors now, and the place was clear of nosy muggles.

James walked with long, quick steps forward to the house, and Lily followed him right at his heels, wrapping her coat more tightly around her, and feeling her nose go numb. James's sneakers and hers left deep footprints along the path.

James was going to walk through the entrance door, when a tall, black haired Auror stood in front of him, and his steps ceased. He felt a warm body bump into him from his back. It was Lily who had been staring at the mark, and hadn't noticed James stop. She looked at the Auror and stood beside him.

"Sorry, son, you can't go inside" the wizard said sadly.

"I _need_ to get inside. You have been here for hours, and you have done nothing" James said angrily, and intended to push the man aside and walk inside, no matter what he said. He felt his blood pumping hard on his forehead and his heart beating quickly against his chest, but when a loose grip got hold of his forearm, he breathed and looked down. It was like she had been reading his feelings, and had calmed his urges to throw himself at the Auror.

"Sorry but –"

"You have to let us in" Lily interrupted the man. James's heart lighted and he looked at her; her delicate features, glowing with the bright mark upon them, staring at the wizard in front of her. Her hand was still holding his forearm "this is Christmas. That is his family inside that house. Please, sir"

The Auror's eyes looked at Lily for a second, and then they traveled to James. He seemed to be considering it and having a hard time at it. After a few moments of glancing back at him, and back at the couple in front of him, he stood aside, nodded, and walked away to meet up with other Aurors.

James took a step into the house, and Lily let go of his arm as her stomach jolted suddenly. She sighed and looked at the wooden floor of the porch she was standing on. A furry rug lay a few inches away from her feet, with the word "_Welcome_" printed on it. The electric light bulb above her, as well as the muggle Christmas lights decorating the house, flickered and buzzed in her ear. She felt that twisting sensation in her insides as she thought of James's family, and how terrible it must be to lose one's parents. She felt scared, it could happen to _her_ parents, it could happen to herself. It could happen any day, with no warning. No one was safe with Lord Voldemort and his dark, murderous followers on the loose.

"Hey, wait" she called, making him turn around. She shook her hands graciously and then walked through the door, toward James who was already inside. She could only see him by the buzzing lights that turned on and off, making her feel sick "I'll wait for you outside okay?" she said, not daring to look around the house, just directly at his hazel, sad eyes. She was scared to see a corpse, or something that wasn't hers to see. His face came in and out of focus, sometimes just glowing green thanks to the light coming from outside, but she stared at him nonetheless "no matter what you see, or feel, or realize after this, I'll be right there" she pointed over her own shoulder to the sidewalk "waiting for you"

He nodded silently, and embraced her. She hugged him back warmly, leaning her chin on his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his neck. She pulled back, without taking her hands from the back of his neck, and leaned slowly her head against his. Their lips met for a split second, and chills ran through James's spine, making his insides flutter. She backed away slowly, and without believing what she had just done, she looked down and walked away.

Feeling a chilly air embrace her face, she wrapped her brown scarf around her nose, lips and ears, until the only visible part of her face was her emerald green eyes. She sat on the edge of the sidewalk, with her feet on the muddy snow. The Dark Mark was beginning to fade, and a weak, green glow was left lighting up everything around her. Snowflakes fell slowly around her as she stared blankly at the pavement under her dirty sneakers. The voices of the Aurors reached her ears but she couldn't understand anything they were saying, just a distant chatting.

She lived up the kiss she had given James Potter every single second, but she didn't care anymore. She didn't care he was the prick from Hogwarts, or the flirty, smug boy that followed her everywhere and did nothing more than annoy her. She didn't care about all the times she had ended up in the Hospital Wing in a ridiculous situation thanks to his pranks, or the times she had gotten stuck in detention with him, or how she hated patrolling the school with him.

She rubbed her face and kept waiting for him, her parents were probably worrying about her by now. She took a glance at her wristwatch; it was almost Christmas. She sighed, and a puff of smoke formed ahead of her. The Dark Mark was gone completely, and everything looked significantly darker now. The flickering of the electric lights of the Potter's home became more evident, and the buzzing sound annoyed her.

She felt scared. It had happened to the Potters, and they were purebloods. It could happen to her parents any time soon. They could even kill her. Maybe when she got home later she would find the Dark Mark glowing gorily above her own house, with Ministry Aurors around that wouldn't let her see her family for the last time. The thought of it just made her feel worse.

"Please, God, don't let that ever happen" she muttered quietly.

The sound of feet stepping on the brittle snow made her jump. She got up and turned around, lowering her scarf so her whole face was visible.

James was chugging back his sobs, but he was clearly crying. His face was swollen as it had never been, and his eyes bloodshot. He just stood there, paralyzed on the snow, sniffing loudly.

"I'm sorry" Lily said, and embraced him

She looked at her watch; it was already Christmas. But she decided to keep quiet, with the buzzing sound and the distant chattering voices around them.

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**So? R&R!**


	2. Change

**I know, I know I said most of this one shots wouldn't be angsty and stuff. But I couldn't help it. I'm working on a funny one, so I _hope_ it is up soon. And yeah, I know, I suck at updates, but I'll try to be better ok:)**

**This chapter's called 'Change'. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own!

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"Take that back!"

"I'm not taking it back!"

"Take that back _right now_!" her insides burned through every inch of her body, her nose was flaring and her green eyes were narrowing with anger pouring out of them. Her hand was enclosing dangerously around the wand tucked safely in her robe's pocket.

"You hated him a year ago, Lily! Seriously, what has gotten into you?!" he stood across her, pain and anger painted in his face.

They stood in the silent grounds of Hogwarts Castle while the grey sky threatened to soak them to the bone. Almost every student had gotten inside before it started raining, but he had said something that had switched on something inside her, something that was now aching inside her chest.

"Things change!"

"I know, Lily, things change! Because you've changed so much! You've changed so much I don't even recognize you!"

"How dare you?! How dare you say that! That is very rich coming from you, Severus Snape!" she screeched, her voice reaching a high key that echoed through the grounds.

"C'mon Lily"

"Who was the one who turned into the Dark Arts, huh? Who started hanging out with that… Mulciber… and _Avery?_ Avery! Delighting your sweet selves with that evil humor!" she took a quick breath to prevent her voice from breaking and the tears that were now flooding her eyes escaping "_You_ turned into the unrecognizable one, Severus, you even dared to …to call me…to call me a mudblood!" she growled, her hands turned into tight fists, one of them held her wand, and covered her eyes. They stayed there for a moment, until Lily lowered them and revealed her soaked eyes.

"That has nothing to do with the fact that…you're now into that…" he seemed to be making a great effort to keep his deep voice even, and having a hard time looking for words to say "pathetic toe rag! _You_ used to say it Lily! How can you not see it?! How can you forget?! He is–"

"More than you'll _ever_ be!I can't stand it! I can't stand listening to your rubbish anymore!"

"It's not rubbish! It's the truth!"

"The truth is that things change Severus. You've changed into a _Death Eater_!" his dark eyes widened at the term, but she continued "yes! A Death Eater! I know you have that disgusting mark in your arm!" she gestured toward his left arm that was covered by the dark school robes "And I've changed too, so have my feelings for James. Some people change for the better, and some…" her eyes scanned him from head to toes with a disgusted glare in them "for the worse, the worse they can turn in to!"

She walked straight back to the castle without another word, just as the grey clouds upon them started sprinkling little drops of water on their bodies.

She walked through the entrance and turned the corner into an empty hallway; Lily couldn't stop the sob that now burst out of her chest. Without waiting to recover, she ran through every corridor and moving staircase, keeping her sobs as quiet as she could, feeling her anger being replaced with sadness in her heart. She couldn't stand seeing her once best friend now turned into a completely different person that not only had offended her gravely in the past, but that now attempted to hurt her even further by telling her how stupid she was, what stupid decisions she had made, how stupid James Potter was. He was the one who preferred the Dark Arts on the first place, and who had broken her heart so deeply and beyond repair.

She screamed the password to the Fat Lady and stomped in, without looking up, walking straight to her dorm. Before she could even reach the staircase, her body bumped into something; she looked up and saw a pair of hazel eyes staring at her, concerned.

"What's wrong, Lily?" his large hands were placed on her shoulders.

"I don't want to talk about it" her voice trembled.

"It was him, wasn't he?" he said, his eyes narrowed "Snape? Don't listen to that bloody –"

"I said I didn't want to talk about it, James!" she freed herself from his grip and took a step back.

"Okay… alright. You don't have to" he took a step closer to her "just…just stop crying, alright?" his voice was suddenly soft and sweet, like music inside Lily's ears.

A huge sob welled up inside her once again, and she couldn't help it; she let it out. It would've been higher if it wasn't muffled by James' shoulder. One of his hands ran through her auburn hair while the other supported her back. Tears were now pouring out of control, soaking James' shirt. She was incredibly thankful the common room was empty, or at least not very crowded.

"Why did he have to turn into such a git?" she asked, while her sobs continued, but her voice was so muffled and shaky that she thought maybe he had not even understood. But she didn't need an answer, she didn't want it. And James didn't give her one, just stroked her hair silently, waiting for her sobs to cease.

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**So, what about a review? ;)**


	3. Carriages

**Thanks so much to my reviewers (and readers too) ! I'm happy you enjoyed the last chapter! **

**So, it's finally here guys...a lighthearted chapter -cheers- . I'm getting better with updates, right ;) ? It's just that I'm going to travel tomorrow and I wanted to leave this posted before I left. I'll post more when I return.**

**This chapter is called 'Carriages'. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

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We were standing in front of about twenty different baby carriages. It was ridiculous, why couldn't Lily just pick one and get over the whole thing?

"That one" I said, pointing randomly at one that was displayed right in front of me.

"Yeah, why not carry our baby around in that gigantic piece of rubbish?" she said sarcastically. She folded her arms on top of her belly and sighed. Her beautiful green eyes traveled along the lined carriages.

She started pacing (for the third time), looking at each and every single one of them. I followed her, pretending to be interested; I really didn't care which carriage she chose, I only wanted her to do it quickly, we already had more than half an hour looking at them! While she thought very deeply about which one to choose, I just stared at her auburn hair, and how she tapped her fingers unconsciously against her seven month old belly.

Suddenly, I heard her gasp. Had she finally found one? Did a miracle just happen? Had our lives in carriage-world finally ended? I turned to look at her and found her eyes glistening and her lips widened in a huge smile. A squeal erupted from her chest and her finger pointed to something that I just recognized as a gigantic yellow blur.

"That one!" she said excitedly.

I looked at it. It was completely bright yellow, and had little teddy bears printed all over it. It was true that I didn't really care what carriage she chose, and that I really wanted to get out of there, but _that one?_ The giant, walking cheese? It was not only terribly yellow, but it was awfully… _girly. _And _I'd_ have to push that thing around for at least two years. No. I wouldn't let my son go around that horrible piece of –

"It's cute!"

"It's _horrible_"

"_Horrible?_" she sounded outraged, and for a moment I thought she would pull out her wand and hex me. I was thankful when she just put her hands on her hips, or what was left of them, and said "tell me _one_ thing that's horrible about it!"

"The yellow-ness, the bears, it's not only awful but also girly"

"Girly? Bears and yellow aren't girly"

"The flowers on the bears' bellies" I raised my eyebrows at her, did she seriously did not think that was a carriage meant for baby girls whose parents had a terrible bad taste? She scowled and looked closer at the carriage, and suddenly, a defeated expression took over her face.

"It's not _that_ horrible"

Without another word, she returned to her pacing for the fourth time, and for the fourth time I followed her.

"That one" I said, pointing at another one. I got closer to it and placed my hands on top of it "it's not girly nor yellow, it looks comfortable, it matches mommy's eyes, it –"

"I told you already, it looks like troll's vomit" she said "and thanks for comparing it with my eyes"

I rolled _my_ eyes and walked closer to her. I put my hands on her shoulders and gave her a quick peck on the lips that lighted up her face "would you _please_ pick one? I'm going bonkers here…seriously."

She sighed and turned around to face, once again, the bloody carriages. Why didn't I tell Sirius to come with her instead of me? I knew how picky and unsure Lily was while shopping, I _knew_ it. Like the time we were buying the crib; she wouldn't decide between the white one or the wooden one, until finally she bought the latter. So why had I come?

"I just want the perfect one for Harry" she said calmly "I want everything to be perfect for him"

Well, that's why, because she was sweet and perfect and I loved her so much.

"Having such a perfect woman as a mother, I'm sure everything will be ok" she rolled her eyes and tried (with no success) to hide an incredibly wide smile that was appearing on her face. I kissed her again and pointing at another carriage said "What about that one?"

"Ugly"

"That one?"

"Too small"

"That?"

"It's for older kids"

"_That?"_

"Ugly!"

"For Merlin's sake, Lily" I said. I sighed and gave up. We would spend at least two more hours looking at the carriages, wouldn't we? I ran my hand up and down her back while she stood watching them again.

"You know what…let's go" she suddenly said "I don't like them"

"Took you long enough to figure that out, Lils" I said and took her hand in mine. She slapped lightly my shoulder with her other hand grinned sheepishly. I kissed her on the cheek and we were finally exiting the damned store. I felt my insides sing, I even started humming.

We walked along the shop's window, our fingers interlaced, looking uninterestedly at the products they were selling until…

I stopped in my tracks and stared at it, displayed in all its glory. I pulled Lily back.

"What –" she started saying, but I think that after seeing my expression she turned to look at what I was staring; a baby carriage; it was navy blue and had little snitches printed all over the fabric. There was even a broomstick were the baby was supposed to sit! I smiled, and I think I even saw singing angels floating around it.

I looked at my wife and she looked at me. Her eyebrows were raised and her green eyes shone… We knew it, that was it!

"That one" we said in unison. We walked quickly back into the store.

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**Fin! Read and Review :) **


	4. Flight

**I know, I know, I suck at updates! I'm so sorry, I promise I'll try to be better! **

**Thanks so much to all of you who reviewed! I really appreciate it, so keep reading and reviewing! **

**This chapter is called "Flight". Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: not mine. no. nope. never. **

* * *

"Patrol is over" James's voice cut through the deep silence that surrounded the empty and dark corridor. Lily realized he had stopped walking moments before her and now stood a few paces away staring at his wrist watch, only visible thanks to the light erupting from the tip of his wand "you said you would" 

"What if we get caught?" 

"We won't" James sounded very confident of his statement "come on, I got everything ready" 

"Everything?" 

Without knowing what James could have possibly planned to show her this time and hesitating for a moment, Lily followed him in the direction of the Entrance Hall, walking by portraits depicting now sleeping people and peaceful landscapes. As they walked, more and more candles were lit in their way, so by the time they reached the Entrance Hall, James's and Lily's wands were tucked safely inside their school robes with no need of the Lumos Charm anymore. 

"How do you know Filch isn't around? You don't even brought your map" she said looking around, checking if nobody was following, ready to give Gryffindor's Head Boy and Girl detentions "not very clever" 

"I told you; Moony, Padfoot and Wormtail are trying to retrieve it from Filch's office, remember?" he silently pushed the entrance door open, revealing Hogwarts's moonlit grounds "still, Filch's on the third floor on Thursday nights" he stepped out and Lily followed his quick pace across the grounds. She shot several looks back to the castle and to the Gryffindor Tower, wondering if it would be a better idea to go back and be warm in bed, safe from detention, rather than in the middle of Hogwarts's grounds, with the chilly breeze creating goose bumps on her skin and the possibility of getting caught. The reason why she had agreed to sneak out with James Potter was something she didn't understand. 

The half moon glared at the whole castle, each and every stone that formed it and every leaf from the trees that surrounded it, reflected beautifully on the lake's surface, just like it would on a mirror. Grey clouds lingered around the moon but seemed unable to eclipse it, making it a beautiful sight. Lily tightened the scarf around her neck and kept following the black haired boy ahead of her. 

James turned around and made Lily stop in her tracks instantly just in front of him. His expression was hard to read, but his hazel eyes were upon Lily's own green ones. Neither said anything and the only sound that Lily could hear was the light wind against the trees and the one of her own, beating heart. She prayed for James not to hear it and give away the sudden fluttering of her insides and thanked that it wasn't light enough to notice the heat increasing on her cheeks and ears. 

A swishing sound that had nothing to do with the wind made Lily jump on the spot as she suddenly saw a Quidditch broomstick flying by itself in their direction. She hadn't even noticed James taking out his wand and summoning it, maybe before he had turned around. He now extended his arm and caught the broom in midair, placing it by his side. 

"Are you showing me what a good flyer you are?" Lily asked raising her eyebrows and folding her arms. The fluttering inside her was gone and, slightly amused, she felt she was back in fifth year talking to the old, full of himself, show off Potter. Trying to hide the fact that her lips were arching upward she said "is that it? Because honestly, in every Quidditch Match there is I'm able to –"

"No, of course that's not it, Lily" he said rolling his eyes, as if Lily suggesting that James was trying to show off his flying skills was completely ridiculous. Lily couldn't help now the smile that spread on her face "_I'm_ going to fly, but _you're_ coming with me" he mounted his broomstick. 

The smile was gone, her previously folded arms dropped and her eyes widened

"_What?_" 

"What?" 

They would not only get caught and sent to detention probably for weeks, but Lily would freeze to death and puke too, knowing how reckless James was, especially on broomsticks. She started to back away from him, shaking her head slowly and frowning, her arms folded once again as she let out a firm "_no_". 

"You said you would!" 

"I said I would come with you so you could show me something" Lily said "now you have. And now I'll go" she was already turning to leave straight to the common room, but James seized her by the arm and made her turn around abruptly "James!" 

"Lily! What are you afraid of?" James said, widening his eyes. Lily could see one half of his face clearly, his lips, his straight and long nose and his long, heavy eye lashes defined perfectly and beautifully "Nothing will happen! We won't get caught, I promise. And I'll be careful; you know I wouldn't let anything happen to me...sorry, to you. I meant to you" Lily rolled her eyes and once again couldn't help but smile as James started to chuckle "Please?" he added after a moment where they had become silent again. He pouted and widened his eyes, resembling an abandoned, little puppy. 

"I haven't ridden a broom since first year!" 

"So? I'll be careful! Now, come on." 

"Okay" she mumbled after a small pause and James instantly smiled widely and gestured for Lily to climb up behind him. Before doing so she tightened even more her scarf and made sure no one was around, just in case and still fearing the possible detention. Hesitating for a second, she cautiously slipped her arms around James's waist, trying to make as little contact as possible. Her embarrassment couldn't be worse, her face and ears were once again turning a bright shade of pink and her heart threatened to hammer its way out of her chest. Again, why had she agreed to do this? 

"Hold on tight, will you?" James said. Lily rolled her eyes, of course he wanted her to hold tight, he enjoyed physical contact and it couldn't be more obvious. Her body was a few inches away from his and her arms were as loose around his waist as they could be without her falling over. 

"I'm fine like this!" Lily said "now let's get this over with, shall w–"

But the last word came out as a loud shriek and without knowing it, Lily was clutching on to James for dear life and her green eyes were tightly shut. He had jumped off the ground and flown upwards without notice but with such a speed that almost threw Lily off the broom. 

She opened her eyes, breathing heavily, and looked down at the place where they had been standing a few moments before but that now seemed so far away. Her head was spinning and she felt her heart would fail at any moment. Looking down made her stomach swirl, but she couldn't help it, her eyes drifted unwillingly at the grounds that seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. The wind flapped against them and made Lily's red hair wave madly, slapping her own face. But she couldn't fix it, her arms were wrapped around James tightly and she was unconsciously digging her fingernails on him. 

"James!" she shrieked "you said you'd be careful! Put me down! Get me down! _Now!"_

"I'm being careful! _You're_ the one that didn't hold on!" said James without making the slightest change on the broomstick's direction. They were still flying upward and the wind kept getting stronger and colder. 

"Go down!" 

"No" 

"_Now!_" 

"_No!_ We're almost there" 

"Almost there? Almost _where!_" Lily said loudly, almost shrieked, not only for James to hear her over the howling wind, but because she was currently unable to control her voice and fright. She decided to look at his face on one side of his shoulder, instead of looking down at the place they had left before, wishing that somehow it would help the swirling sensation on her insides. 

"Just wait!" 

"Wait? No! Where are you taking me, Potter!" she hadn't called James like that in a very long time, but right now the situation required it. She prayed for the enchantments and charms that surrounded the school to keep them inside it, because who knew where James was flying to "Tell me! Where are we going?" 

"Will you just shut it, Lily, for Merlin's sake! You're going hysterical!" he said loudly, and Lily had to agree, she seemed quiet mad and hysterical "if you're so scared, then close your eyes and I'll tell you when to open them. And I'd appreciate if you stop trying to nail your fingers on me. I liked it at first, but now it just hurts" 

Lily's breath got stuck on her throat and not even the cold wind could cool her heated face. She hadn't even noticed her own fingers pierced against James's waist, and showered by a dose of embarrassment they instantly let go of him, but her arms were still tightly around him, it didn't matter, if she didn't hold she would fall for sure. This had proven Lily that James indeed enjoyed physical contact. 

Catching her breath, which was still quiet heavy, Lily decided to do what James suggested and closed her eyes very tightly. She remembered the times when she had gone to the amusement park as a little girl and her parents told her to get on one of the roller coasters. It had been a small one for little kids, but Lily had screamed her lungs out and hadn't opened her eyes until the ride came into a full stop. This was exactly the same thing, but the screaming was replaced with the fact that she was holding on to a boy who lately made her thoughts drift and her stomach jolt. 

The cold air entered her body through her face, creating goose bumps all around her skin. Lily buried her face on James's back and breathed against her own scarf, her nose, ears and fingers going slowly numb. 

Suddenly, the broomstick slowed down until reaching a stop. They were not on the ground because Lily's feet were still hanging. The wind was not howling and hitting them anymore, it had turn into a swift, chilly breeze caressing both of them. She was scared of opening her eyes, scared of finding out they were already on the stratosphere, or worse about to exit Earth. The fact that they had stopped didn't make Lily loosen her arms, but tightening them even more around him. 

"Now you can open your eyes" 

Lily opened her eyes, but her face was still buried in James's back. She breathed deeply, realizing that she was shaking slightly of both cold and fear, and raised her head to look at James, not daring to look down. 

He was grinning slightly; his face was calm and his expression content. He turned his hazel eyes at her and raised his eyebrows for a moment, then they drifted slowly to a place on their left and his grin widened. 

Lily followed his gaze, wondering if this was it, the thing he wanted to show her. 

Lily gasped, her eyes widened like plates at an unbelievable sight; even though they had flown upwards for hours (at least that's how it had felt for Lily) Hogwarts still stood gloriously large and majestic before her eyes, the moon shed its light over it from the side and the castle glowed like a gigantic, beautiful star. Little lights twinkled from some of the dark windows, and there was a huge contrast between what was lit and what was covered in darkness; it was like looking at a painting, a picture of something so beautiful you think you'll never get the chance to see. But Lily was seeing it, looking at it. And that was not all, but very near, the moon and the trees were perfectly reflected in a wide mirror; the lake, in which creatures now were peaceful and the water was still. 

Lily tried to find her voice, tried to find words to say, but everything she could come up with didn't seem enough to describe what she was seeing. 

"Quiet beautiful, huh?" James said. Lily's gaze shifted from him and back to the castle. 

"It's… it looks so… beautiful… amazing… it's…" she gave up, she wouldn't be able to describe it, ever "how… how did you…" 

"After a Quidditch practice at night, I flew up here and thought it looked pretty amazing" he said "and I thought you'd like to see it too. Girls like this stuff, don't they?" 

"We do" Lily said, her voice had become rather tiny compared with the ridiculously loud shrieks she was making before. They hovered in mid air silently with the Hogwarts castle standing at their side, the trees waved vaguely at them. She couldn't believe James was capable of doing nice, meaningful things like this, she didn't want to consider it _romantic_, but it really was. Just the thought of it made her stomach jump to her throat. 

"Let's go" James said after some minutes. Lily couldn't even react; they were already plummeting back to the ground. She felt as if someone had reach out and squished her stomach; she was doing her best not to scream as her organs rose to her throat, the wind howled once again against them and she felt goose bumps erupting around her neck. She was holding even tighter to him and she couldn't help but scream "_Stop!_" when she realized they were flying directly to the lake. 

"What? Here you go again, mental Lily. Stop worrying!" 

"We'll get wet! Go up! Up! _Up"_

But James ignored her. They were going to get wet, they were diving directly into the lake, Lily was sure of it, in no time the cold water would soak them and she'd die of hypothermia. Well, not really, a simple charm would dry her, but something reckless like this had to be included in one of James Potter's plans! 

Her eyes were tight shut, her face hidden on James's back, and every muscle of her body was tense, waiting for the water that was coming. She waited, any time now.

The broomstick came to a sudden halt and they started to drift softly, no water had soaked her and there had been no splashing sound. Lily opened her eyes after a moment of hesitation, and was surprised to see they were floating above the lake, their feet a few inches from the water. 

"I told you not to worry" 

She looked down, just to see her own face looking back at her. She saw her green eyes widening in surprise, surprise in seeing a perfect reflection of both of them, flying slowly above the water. James's black hair waved slightly and so did her red one. A ticklish, nice sensation formed in her stomach as they glided. The tip of her shoe accidentally touched the surface, and the mirror-like water was gone as little, disturbed waves formed around her foot. She lifted it, but her eyes were still stuck on the lake and she thought she had never realized how much more beautiful Hogwarts could be. 

Her arms loosened, but they were still around James. It didn't matter anymore, and it didn't matter that she was now resting her head against his back, just below his neck. A thousand emotions fluttered inside her and her face became warmer and warmer, but she wasn't embarrassed as she realized that she too enjoyed the contact between them. 

They reached the other side of the lake, just where the beech tree stood, and they slowly came to a stop under it. He got off and offered his hand to her, which she took pleasantly and got off the broomstick after him. 

When she was fully standing on the ground, James let go of Lily's hand and caught his broomstick, lifting it above his shoulder. He grinned at her, his lips pressed together, asking her silently what she had thought about the whole thing. 

They started walking in the direction of the castle, taking slow steps, side by side. James was terribly close to her, his arm brushed against hers on every step they took, every brush left a tingling sensation on the place it had touched, even if it was under her robes. 

"It was really nice, James. I truly enjoyed that" 

"I'm very glad you did" he said, and he smiled at her widely, the corners of his eyes wrinkled happily and he unexpectedly reached out and grabbed her gloved hand. Her breath got stuck halfway out again, but she dissembled it as well as she could. Without taking her eyes off his face and without stopping their slow paces, she interlaced her fingers with his, wondering if it was the right thing to do, this was, after all, James Potter. 

But this was a different James Potter, a nicer, more grown up one. One that had trusted her as his confident, and had turned into a decent, good friend. So she looked away, grinning sheepishly and decided that it _was_ the right thing to do. 

James squeezed her hand and without saying words, they had told each other how good this felt. They had had _way_ more contact than this between them before, much more, he had even _kissed_ her before, just after a victorious Quidditch match, but it had been brief and followed by a slap on the face. None of those times had meant so much to Lily as this one did, even if their hands were gloved and her skin was not actually touching his, this was more meaningful, and more beautiful too. 

They walked through the dark castle silently without letting go, holding their lit wands with their free hands. It was already late and they quickened their walk to get to the Gryffindor common room as soon as possible. Besides asking what time it was and getting an answer, no more words were exchanged, but there was no awkward silence, just a sweet, understanding one. 

James pulled Lily through the hole behind the Fat Lady's portrait and they were finally surrounded by the warm, nice environment of the common room. It was surprisingly empty (other Gryffindors always sneaked out on late hours) and the fire flickered, its glow illuminating the whole room. 

They turned to face each other at the bottom of the steps that lead to the girl's dorms. They stared at each other for a moment, without saying anything. Lily's eyes dropped to her hands, her fingers around James's. She let go of him slowly, and his hand lingered for a moment, as if hoping it would be held again, but it dropped beside him after a second. 

"Thank you" she said softly. She pulled out her gloves and tucked them inside her robes' pocket "so much. This was really fantastic… a bit mad at some points, I must say" they both chuckled "… but still fantastic" 

He grinned slightly and briefly, his eyes looking down, his head dropping. Lily was sure James had understood rejection by her letting go of him, but that was not it. With both of her hands, she reached out and took his gloved one, the one she had been holding before, lifting it until it was between them. His eyebrows pulled together slightly as he looked at what she was doing. Lily pulled off the black glove from James hand, revealing his slightly rough skin. She looked at him and his frown disappeared as she entwined her fingers with his, and he held tightly back. Electricity was being shot up and down her arm, directly to her heart, but Lily ignored it as James's face came to be just a few inches away from hers. 

She tried to keep her breath even as his hazel eyes locked with her green ones, and James closed the tiny gap between them and kissed her softly, placing his hand on the back of her head and letting his fingers run against her hair and down her neck. A rush of emotions swirled from Lily's feet to her head. 

Her heart was hammering its way out of Lily's body, but she kissed him back, her hand letting go of his and running up his arm. 

They broke apart, and Lily felt her face had never been warmer, wondering if James could see her probably maroon cheeks. What did she have to do know? She couldn't slap him like last time, because this time she had _enjoyed_ it. Run away? Kiss him again? The last one seemed the best option and she truly wanted to do it again. She decided to look up at him, and found him gazing back at her, smiling. 

"And that was our first kiss, my dear" 

Of course, he had to ruin it somehow; she had forgotten for a moment that this was James Potter and that some things never changed. She dropped her arms that had been still on his sides and said "Way to go, James" she sighed heavily, and added "plus, you've kissed me before. Remember?" 

"Of course I do. My face hurt for days. Besides, that was _my_ first kiss. I'm talking about _ours_" an irresistible smile appeared on his features. 

"Of course" it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. She kissed him again, throwing her arms around his neck. 

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**Hope you like it! From now on, I'll answer your reviews, ok:D . Ooh, ooh, I have a question too: When James and Lily moved into Godric's Hollow, how much time passed until they did the Fidelius Charm? I'm a bit confused about this... was it as soon as they moved, orshortlybefore beingmurdered? Well, thanks for reading, and if you review...you get a cookie! **


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